Improvement in railroad-frogs



UNITED STATES Y PATENT GEEICE.

GEORGE DOUGLASS, OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILROAD-FROGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 38,098, dated April 7, 1863.

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE DoUGLAss, of Scranton, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Construction of Railroad -Frogs 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, of which- Figure l is a plan of a railroad-track, showing clearly the position and operation of my improved frog. Fig. 2 is a cross-section in the line c t of Fig. 1. Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 are similar sections in the lines w w, x, y y, and z z of Fig. 1, respectively. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section through the frog-point K in the line k 7c of Fig. 1, showing the manner of securing the end of this point in the chair M. Fig. Sis a crosssection of the track in the line u u of Fig. 1, showing the position of the wheels of a passing car with relation to the frog-rails R and R and the guard-rail and outer track-rails, E and A. Fig. 9 is a side view of a portion of one oi the frog-rails, illustrating the position of the lateral spring attached thereto.

The defects of the cast-iron frogs in common use upon railroads are serious, and have long claimed the attention and tasked the ingenuity of railroad men in attempts to obviate them.

Where the frog is made in one piece, as is 'the usual mode, if all the wheels of the passing trains are not exactly of the same gage, there is a strain upon each in passing from the end of the continuous rail to the frog-point, or vice versa, which often breaks the wheel or bends the axle. The open interval necessarily left in such frogs between the side rails and the point causes a jump of the passing wheel, which, thus pounding upon the point, causes it to wear away with increasing rapidity; and, indeed, the great strain which is necessarily made upon railroad-frogs from their peculiar position renders them constantly subject to repair. To obviate these defects numerous plans have been suggested. Of these the most useful and important are those in which the side rails of the frog have been disconnected from the point, thereby permitting the ready removal of any single'injured or defective portion without the necessity1 and expense of taking up the whole affair. In my improved railroad-frog these advantages are not only secured, but by a novel and peculiar arrangement of the side rails all the unusual wear and tear of this portion of the track is entirely obviated.

In the construction of my improved railroad-frog the ends of the rails G' and B of the intersecting tracks A B and C' D are connected with two movable side rails, B and R', by means of a heavy double embracingchair, L, Fig. 6, which holds and unites the ends of the four rails secured therein by spikes driven in the usual manner.

The side rails, R It', Fig. 1, are so shaped and bent as that when the vibrating end of either is placed against the point K of my improved frog, as is illustrated in Fig. 1, the upper surface of the rail will, in connection with the point, form a continuous unbroken bearing for the car-wheels passing over them.

The ends of the rails It and R', which embrace the point K, are left free to play laterally upon the bed-plates M and N, Fig. 1, laid upon the cross-ties to receive them. Thislateral or vibratory movement of the rails is limited, however, by means of lips or stops S S, cast upon the plate N.

In order to control and regulate the expansion of the side rails, It and R', suitable powerful springs, O O, are placed upon their outer faces, and they are united together and made to act in concert by abolt, H N which passes through apertures made for the purpose in the rails R It. By means of an intermediate collar or stay, G, fitted upon this bolt H between the rails, the interval requisite for a free passage of the flanged car-wheels is defined and secured, and the uniting-bolt is itself secured in place, and the tension of the lateral springs upon the combined rails regulated by means of a fiat head formed upon one end thereof and a screw-thread and nut upon the ,other, the head and nut bearing, respectively,

upon the center of the outer springs, 0 and O, Figs. 1 and 9.

The point K of my improved frog is made independent of the rails, and is secured in its proper position in connection with the ends ofthe intersecting rails B and C oflthe tracks A B and C D, by means of the embracingchairs `J and Q. Its narrowest extremity is also securely fastened by means of a lipped projection, t, Fig. 7, formed upon the lower side of its eXtreme end, which projection fits into an overlapping or dovetailed cavity formed Vfor its reception in the bed-plate or chair M, as is clearly shown in Fig. 5.

When the vibrating rails R Bi are in that position relative to the point K-of the frog, Which is indicated in Fig. 1, it is apparent that thereis an even continuous line of rail .from O to Of, upon the inner side of the track GD. Hence, going in either direction upon this track, there can be no bumping or jumping of the Wheels in passing over the frog, nor indeed any unusual strain either upon them or upon the rails themselves, but the trains will run Without the least jar at this point.

If, however, a train approaches upon the track A B in the direction indicated byan arrow in Fig. l, the flange ofthe rst wheel, following the inner side of the rail B, Will, upon reaching the point of the frog, push open the side rail, R, which, being united With the rail R', will draw and press it over against the opposite side of the point so as to form the desired continuous bearing for the passing wheels upon the track A B. Thesame ei'ect Will be produced and the frog properly adjusted when atrain arrives upon the same track (A B or A B) in the direction indicated by the hand in Fig. l, for the iiange Vof the rst Wheel, running upon the inside rail of the track A B, being drawn over and kept in alignment with the side B of the point K by the guard-rail E, Will draw With it the combined vibrating rails R B until the rail R', by striking the point K, Will form the continuous beaiin g required along the track from B to B. It will be seen by reference to Fig. 8 that the interval secured between the cornbined rails B and B by means of the inter-Y sential to the efficient Workin g ot' myimproved frog, (although of very great advantage and importance in connection therewith,) and they may therefore be omitted when it is deemed proper to do so.

By removing the bolt H either of the side rails or springs can be replaced when necessary in a few minutes, and the peculiar mode of securing the point K in position renders its removal the Work of a moment, it being simply necessary to Withdraw the spikes which hold the chairs J and P, then to slide the projection t of the point out of the cavity in the plate to effect its release.

I do not claim, broadly, making a railroadfrog of separate and distinct rails, nor yet the mere combination and arrangement of a railroad-frog upon separate chairs.

I am also aware that the movable side rails of a railroad-frog have been connected with each other by means of a bolt or rod passing through an aperture in the point of the frog, and, as one great advantage of my invention is found in the fact that it removes and obviates the objections attendant upon any attachment or tie of the side rails to the point of a railroad-frog by rendering them independent of each other, I readily disclaim the use orcombination of these part-s thus united.

What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Combining the movable side rails of a` railroad-frog with each other (independently of its point) by means of a connecting-bolt,

H, and intermediate stay or collar G, substantially in the manner andfor the purpose herein set forth.

2. The combination and arrangement of the lateral springs O 0, or their equivalents, with the side rails, R It', of a railroad-frog substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. Fastening and securing in its proper position the tapering end of the point K of a railroad-frog by means of an underhanging lipped projection, t, @and receiving-chair M substantially as herein set forth.

4. Combining the vibrating rails R and R with the point K of my improved railroadfrog substantially in the manner and for ythe purpose herein set forth.

The above specificatio i of my improved railroad-frog signed by me this 9th day of February, A. D. 1862.

GEORGE ,DOUGLASS In presence of- F. B. SHILsToNE, J AMES HUGnEs. 

